Cathay Pacific bans shark's fin cargo flights

A store selling shark's fin in Hong Kong -- the world’s largest shark fin trading center. About 72 million sharks are killed each year and 10,000 tons of fins are traded through the city.

Cathay Pacific, the world's largest carrier of air cargo, will stop shipping unsustainably sourced shark products in a move marine conservationists characterized as a big step forward in efforts to protect the animals.

"We believe that we now have compelling evidence that the majority of shark fishing is incompatible with our position on Sustainable Development," Cathay Pacific said in a statement.

"Due to the vulnerable nature of sharks, their rapidly declining population, and the impacts of overfishing for their parts and products, our carriage of these is inconsistent with our commitment to sustainable development," the airline said.